Gokarna is a small pilgrimage town on the coast in the Karnataka, India.

Gokarna is an ideal stop-over for peacefull holidays. Gokarna, which means the cow’s ear is is the home of 5 pristine beaches and several temples. The holy town is famous for the  Shiva Temple. This pilgrim site is located on the Karavali Coast between Agnashini and the Gangavali rivers.

About a kilometer from the bus-stand, the Gokarna beach starts , forming the coast of the town. Tourists mainly come to stay on one of the 4 beaches just south of town. Kudlee Beach is the first, about a 20 minute walk, followed by Om Beach, Half Moon Beach and the secluded Paradise Beach - the beaches get more remote and less populated as you head south.

Visit Gokarna during the time of Shivrathri (February-March), where a four day festival is marked by two giant chariots being pulled by several devotees and it is dedicated to Lord Shiva.

The Mahabaleshvara Temple is one of the largest in town and is the main place of pilgrimage. The Maha Ganapati Temple is just meters away from the Shiva Temple. Koti Tirtha is an artificial water tank.

Beaches:

The five beaches are Gokarna beach, Kudle beach, Om beach, Half-moon beach and Paradise beach. Gokarna is popular with pilgrims, while Kudle and Om are popular with tourists. Gokarna beach is several kilometers long and is situated at the edge of the town. It is quite popular with pilgrims, but is less popular with tourists. South of Gokarna beach lies the long sandy Kundke Beach.

Om Beach is further along the coast from Kudle. It is the most popular tourist beach in Gokarna. Miles of white sand with its unique shape is stunning to the tourists. Om beach is located at a distance of approximately 8 km from the town of Gokarna.

Om Beach is the center for several wat...

Roam through the picturesque beaches og Gokarna.